Acetylene-gas generator.



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A TTOHNE 7 S l UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BURROVS MINOR, OF DEPOSIT, NEW YORK.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

Ls'IaoIrIcA'rIoIiaiming part of Letters ratent No. 651,196, 'elated un 5, 190D. Application iiled June 29, 1899. Serial No. 722,256. (No model.)

To ciZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM BUnRows MINOR, of Deposit, in the county of Broome and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Acetylene-Gas Generator, of

' very effective and automatic in operation,

improvement.

and arranged to prevent waste of carbid or gas and generate gas in amounts only as required and with a uniform pressure at the burners, the arrangement permitting a ready recharging with carbid without danger of gas escaping into a room or without interruption of the generation of gas.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then .pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure lis a sectional side elevation of the Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section of one of the gas-generators, the

section being taken on the line 2 2 in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section of one of the tripping devices for the water-supply pipe. Fig. 4 is a plan view of part of the improvement. Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the carbid-receptacles. Fig. 6 is an enlarged View illustrating the gas and water pipes and bells attached thereto, and Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective View of two of the generators.

The improved acetylene-gas machine is provided with a number of receptacles proper, A A A2, each provided with a generator-casing formed bya bell B, fitting loosely into a pail B', the bell being secured to the lower end of a gas-delivery pipe O, discharging into a gaspipe D, supported at one end on a standard E and extending with its other end into the tank F of a gasometer having the usual bell F. The pipe D is provided with a branch pipe G, which opens into the bell F', and with a branch pipe G for conveying the gas to the burners.

Figs. 2 and 7.

the bail B2 is hooked upon the pipe D thenv In each gas-delivery pipe O is arranged a Vthree-way Valve C for connecting the interior of the generator-casingwith the pipe D or with a pipe H, leading lto the outside of the building, so that when a generator is to be recharged with carbidthe pipe D is cut off from the generator-casing and the latter is connected withthe pipe H, sorthat no gas escapes into the room. The stem of the valve C is provided with a hand-lever C2, which, when in a vertical position,establishes communication between the interior of the bell B and pipe D, and the pail B' is provided with a bail B2, having a hooked end, by which it may beheld on the pipe D to support the pail, as shown in Now it will .be seen that when the pail B is properly supported with the bell yB inside of the pail, as is plainly illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 7.

When the'apparatus is in operation, the valve C is closed to the pipe l-I, and communication is established loetween the interior of the bell B andthe pipe D, and the hand-lever O2 is in av vertical position against the pipe D. When it is desired to remove the pail B,Vit is necessary7 for the operator to swing the hand-lever C2 downward out of engagement with pipe D to permit of lifting bail B2 off the pipe D for removing the pail B'; but at the same time such movement of the hand-lever C2 causes a closing of the valve, so that no gas can escape through the pipe O to the pipe D, as the lower end of the pipe O is connected with the pipe H.

The pail B is adapted to con-tain a carbidreceptacle I, set on lugs B3 in the bottom of said pail and held in position against lateral movement therein by projections B4. In the center of the receptacle I is arranged a pipe I', which opens at its lower end into the lower IOC into one compartment and into the carbid contained therein to generato a new amount of gas, and when this carbid has been used up and the compartment is filled with water the subsequent supply of water rises to the next higher opening I2 and passes into the second compartment to repeat the above operation.

In order to keep the bell B cool on top, I extend the side wall of the bell to form a top receptacle B5, adapted to contain Water for keeping the top of the bell cool.

Water is passed into each generator-casing through a branch pipe J, and the several branch pipes are connected with a water-supply pipe J, containing a valve J2 and opening into the bottom of a water-tank K, held on the upper end of the gasometer-tank F. A pipe L, connected with a source of watersupply, discharges into the tank K, and the latter is connected by an opening K' with the interior of the tank F to supply the said tank F with water, said tank being also provided with an overflow-pipe K2 for carrying oif the surplus water. The pipe L is provided with a valve L', having a tloat extending into the tank K, so that the level of the water is always maintained in said tank K. The stem J3 of the valve J2 is connected by a rod J4 with the gasometer-bell F', so that when the latter rises it finally closes the valve J2 to shut off the water from the supply-pipe J', and consequently from the branch pipes J. Each of the branch pipes J is provided with a valve J5, the valve-stern of which is provided with an arm J6, pivotally connected 'with the stem N' of a float N, mounted to rise and fall in a receptacle B6, formed in the top of the bell B, an opening BT leading into the space between the bell and the pail B'. It is evident that when the calcium carbid in the first generator A has been used up in its several compartments water still passes through the branch pipes J into the generator-casing, to finally pass through the opening B7 into the receptacle B6 and lift the fioat therein, so that the stem N' in acting on the arm J 5 closes the valve J5, so that the water is shut off from this generator-casing. The arms JG of the valves, except the last one, are adapted to be engaged by a trip O, held on an arm O2, projecting from a shaft O', journaled in suitable bearings carried by the water-supply pipe J. Vhen the fioat N of one of said generators rises to close the valve J5, as above described, then the arm J 6 passes under the trip O, (see Fig. 3,) whereby the stem is automatically locked in place, and with it the float N. Thus the valve J5 is locked, and the operator can now remove the pail of this generator to clean it and refill the receptacle I with fresh carbid.

When the water is shut off in the branch pipe J of the first generator A, the water iows through the pipe J to the second branch pipe f'orthe generator A', and the above-described operation is then repeatede-that is, gas `is now generated in the second generatorand when the carbid therein has been used up the water rises and acts on the fioat N of this generator so that the valve J 5 in the branch pipe J for the generator A' is closed, and water now fiows through the pipe J to the last generator A2. When generation of gas takes place in the generator`A2, the other generator A' can be opened, cleaned, and supplied with fresh carbid and then replaced in position the same as the first generator A. When the calcium carbid in the last generator A2 has been used up and the water rises in the receptacle BG and lifts the fioat N for this generator, then the valve J5 in the branch pipe J for the generator A2 is closed, and at the same time the arms J 5 of the valves J5 of the preceding generators A A' are released by a connection of the fioat-stein N' of the generator A2 with an arm O3 on the end of the shaft O. (SeeFigs. 1 and 2.) When the arms J G are released from the trips O, the weights of the floats N cause the arms J to'swing downward and open the valves J for the generators A A', so that the water can now again flow first to the first generator for the purpose above mentioned. Should a generator not be cleaned, as above described, the release of the trip O from the arm J 5 will not open the corresponding valve J 5, as the float N for the uncleaned generator will be held up by the waterin the corresponding receptacle B6.

It is understood that the gas generated in a generator A, A', or A2 passes through the pipe C into the pipe D and from the latter into the gasometer and to the pipe G' for sup plying the burners, the gas passing into the generator-bell F' raising the latter to the desired height; but in case of excess generation of gas the bell F is lifted to such an extent that the val ve J2 is closed and the general su pply of water to the branch'pipes J is entirely shut off until the amount of gas in the gasoineter has decreased and the bell F' has moved downward sufficiently to again open the valve J2. By the arrangement described the pressure of the gas in the gasometer does not exceed a predetermined amount.

By having a constant water seal in each of the generators A A' A2 `no gas is liable to escape into a room, and in case a generator is opened to be refilled with a` fresh charge of calcium carbid the interior the generator-bell B is connected by the valve C' with the Wastepipe II, leading to the outside, so that even then no gas is liable to escape into the room. It will further be seen that the water seal in the generator is changed every time the generator is recharged with calcium carbid, so that there is no possibility of the generatorcasing becoming clogged by lime or other matter.

In first starting the machine it is necessary to fill the first generator-casingA with a sufficient quantity of water to rise in the pipe I to the first compartment for generating the gas, which drives out the air from the generator-casing at the time the valve C is still open to the pipe II, so that air and gas pass to the outside of the room, and when this airis IIO driven out the operator swings the hand-lever G2 upward to close the valve C to the pipe I-I and to connect the generator-casing with the pipe D at the same time the hand-lever C2 engages the bail B2 to lock the latter in position on the pipe D.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. An acetylene-gas apparatus, comprising a water-supply pipe, a series of generators each having a branch-pipe connection with the said water-supply pipe, a valve in said branch-pipe connection, a float on each generator for closing and opening the said valve, a locking device arranged for engagement with the float when the latter is in raised position, substantially as shown and described.

2. An acetylene-gas apparatus, comprising a water-supply pipe, a series of generators each having a branch-pipe lconnection with the said water-supply pipe, avalve in said branch-pipe connection, and a iioat on each generator for controlling the said valve, the float being mountedin a separate receptacle in the upper part of the generator, said receptacle having a connection with the generator-casing, so that when the water rises in said upper part of the generatorit also passes into the float and lifts the latter to close said Valve, substantially as shown and described.

3. An acetylene-gas apparatus7 comprising a water-supply pipe, a series of generators each having a branch-pipe connection with said water-supply pipe, a valve in said branchpipe connection, a float on each generator for controlling the said valve, the float being mounted in a separate receptacle in the upper part of the generator, said'receptacle having a connection with the generator-casing, so that when the water rises in said upper part of the generator it also passes into the -iioat and lifts the latterto close said valve,

and a locking device for the stem of the said valve to lock it in place when lifted by the float, substantially as shown and described.

4. An acetylene-gas apparatus, comprising a water-supply pipe, a series of generators each having a branch-pipe connection with said water-suppl y pipe, a valve in said branchpipe connection, a float on each generator for controlling the said valve, the iioat being mounted in a separate receptacle in the upperpart of the generator, said receptacle having a connection with the generator-casing, so that when the water rises in said upper part of the generator it also passes into the float and lifts the latter to close said valve, and a locking device for the stem of the said valve to lock it in place when lifted by the float, said locking device being controlled by the float of the last generator in the series,

of the bell cool, and a float-receptacle in said water-receptacle, and having an opening leading to the space between the bell and the pail, substantially as shown and described.

6. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, a watersupply pipe provided with a Valve, a generator to which said pipe is arranged to supply water, a iioat in said generator and connected with the stem of the valve to open and close lthe latter, and a locking device arranged to hold said valve closed, as set forth.

7. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, a Watersupply pipe, a valve in said pipe and having an arm on its stem, a generator to which said pipe is adapted to supply water, a float in said generator and connected with the said arm whereby to open and close the valve, and a locking device arranged to engage said arm to hold the valve in closed position as set forth. l

8. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, a supply# pipe, a series of generators each having a branch-pipe connection with said supply-pipe, a valve in each branch pipe, the stem of each valve being provided with an arm, a float in each generator, said lio ts being connected with said arms to open and close the Valves, a shaft mounted above the generators, trips secured to said shaft above the arm of each valve except the last and adapted to hold their re spective valves closed, and a connection be.- tween the shaft and the valve of the last geniv erator whereby the shaft will be turned to release the trips when the said float is raised, as set forth.

9. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, a 'supplypipe, a series of generators arranged to re ceive water from said supplypipe, valves adapted to control the supply, floats in the generators for opening and closing the valves,

a locking device at each generator except the last for automatically holding the respective valves in closed position, and a connection between the locking devices and the oat of the last generator whereby the locking devices will release the valves when the said float is raised, as set forth.

VILLIAM BURROWS MINOR.

IOD 

